Keeping Children and Young People Safe
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KEEPING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SAFE GRANT PROSPECTUS OurKeeping Vision Children and Young People Safe Manchester Community Safety Partnership, Manchester City Council, Young Manchester and other partners across Manchester are committed to driving a bold new approach to keeping children and young people safe in Manchester by tackling anti-social behaviour and violence which impacts on children and young people across the city. We’re establishing clear, coherent and consistent approaches that have children and young people at their heart. We are building a city-wide, long-term approach for all children and young people impacted by violence and anti-social behaviour – finding ways of using the resources, skills, expertise and passion we have in Manchester to make a difference to the lives of children and young people. This programme of work builds on previous investments by Young Manchester and the Community Safety Partnership, in particular the Positive Engagement Programme and Keeping Children and Young People Safe – but also marks a significant step forward – moving from individual programmes to a strategic, locally-driven approach. The work is underpinned by funding principles: • Children and young people’s voice – the voices and lived experiences of children and young people will be critical to all funded activity • Quality and impact – we will ensure that our work is making a difference, and work with partners to build evidence, demonstrate value and champion the impact that youth and play work has on children, young people and communities. • Partnership – we will prioritise collaboration and collective impact, seeking to work with, and build up, others whilst building strong alliances and networks across the city including with statutory settings and systems. • Systems - Young Manchester’s approach is grounded in our understanding of the complexity of the situation for children and young people in the city, and that a systems-focused approach is necessary to facilitate change A key output from recent work was a report from our partners RECLAIM, ‘Listening to the experts’. The report concludes that “any strategy to tackle serious youth violence will fail if it doesn’t involve the young people it affects. It may even make things worse … young people … see the response to violent crime as superficial, stigmatising and too often based on race, class or gender-related stereotypes rather than their lived reality.” Young people have told us that these issues are complex and systemic. Our approach is therefore grounded in our understanding of the systemic causes of violence which impact on children and young people’s lives. Young Manchester’s strategy states: “Our work will seek to challenge and address the direct impact of poverty and inequality, as well as seek to understand and tackle the root causes which keep children, young people and their families in poverty, and continue to create an unequal society. Our work will also place significant emphasis on inclusion and equity, ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all, no matter the barriers and challenges that they may face.” OurPurpose Vision of the Fund Our overall approach to tackling violence and anti-social behaviour is phased. This Fund is an initial investment that will enable VCS partners to support children and young people, placing them at the heart of the debate on how we create a Manchester where young people can live free from violence. Further investment will follow, allowing us to increase the number of projects we support. With initial spend required in this financial year - grants of up to £50,000 are available to deliver holistic projects focussed on direct work with children and young people. Projects should build on current strengths and focus on delivering high quality practice with children and young people. Learning from these direct delivery projects will continue to build our long-term viable proposition for attracting further investment and long-term outcomes for children and young people. Projects must be focussed on direct delivery, but you should also explicitly demonstrate: • How evidence from your project can inform wider learning and shape future policy and practice and will engage with a city-wide agenda • How your project builds strong partnership working at a local level, within and beyond the VCSE sector (including for example with schools and Early Help) Examples of projects which could be considered Based on learning from previous investments we are particularly keen to hear from projects that combine different ways of engaging with children and young people – for example: street-based detached youth work with progression opportunities and wrap around support – delivered in a neighbourhood or ward basis. If you have existing work in a particular neighbourhood you may apply for a grant which enhances existing provision (for example if you have a detached programme – you could apply for funding to enable it to include 1:1 support). We are also open to receiving proposals for small grants for activity which enhances learning on youth violence and / or complements neighbourhood/ward provision. We are open to hearing your ideas and creative proposals which align to the aims of the fund. We’ll consider funding activities including, but not limited to: • Detached youth work and outreach • 1:1 support • Targeted youth support • Outdoor learning, adventure and residential experiences for young people • Peer support and education • Youth voice • Conflict resolution initiatives • Place-based community development work with young people • Mentoring and youth leadership OurCurrent Vision context of the Fund Initial Investment A partnership between Manchester’s Community Safety Partnership, Manchester City Council and Young Manchester has been established to develop and support work with youth and play providers in the city. The first phase of this work will involved the commissioning of approximately £200,000 to coordinate, develop and enhance practice in Manchester. Though funding is not guaranteed beyond March 2021, we are making a long-term commitment to supporting children and young people impacted by anti-social behavior and violence and it is our expectation that there is ongoing investment. We will also be increasing the number of wards and neighbourhoods we can support in a phased and progressive way. Operational Priorities In the latest Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2019), Manchester had the highest average rank for the Crime domain across local authorities in England and Wales There are strong correlations between areas that experience high levels of crime, and other factors, including income, employment, health and disability, and education, skills and training. Current operational funding priorities are in those areas with the greatest need as per below (see also priority wards section below) OurCurrent Vision context of the Fund According to GMP data, the main hotspots for youth-related ASB in each of the past three years have been in the north and east of the City and in the City Centre. Areas which have seen persistently high concentrations of ASB involving young people include the City Centre, Harpurhey, Newton Heath, Charlestown and Gorton and Abbey Hey. Cheetham Hill has also been identified by GMP as a key area where there is concern with regard to young people being drawn into crime and exploitation and remains a priority for increased engagement with young people. A Note on COVID-19 Please note, at the time of the release of these documents face-to-face delivery of youth work has some restrictions, all delivery of activity under this Fund should be compliant with local and national guidance. You can take a look at the latest guidance from the National Youth Agency here https://nya.org.uk/reacting-to-covid-19-advice-to-youth- services/ and from other agencies including Young Manchester and Manchester City Council here https://www.hub.youngmanchester.org/advice-and-guidance-for-workers Proposals should be based on current delivery possibilities – but also show how they could be adapted based on increased or decreased restrictions. OurKey Vision Information Funding is available for projects and programmes for holistic place-based support of children and young people and contribute to strategic development of a city-wide approach to keeping children and young people safe in Manchester, as outlined under ‘Purpose of the Fund’. • Call for applications: 14th July 2020 • Closing date for applications: 31st July 2020 We welcome applications from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector working with children and young people. Organisations must be ‘Manchester-connected’, by which we mean they must be able to demonstrate at least two of the following criteria: • Organisations that involve people who work or live in Manchester in their governance • Organisations that are actively involved in Manchester networks and boards that involve other VCSE organisations • Organisations that are involved in partnership working with other Manchester-based organisations Funding is available for revenue - delivery of services and/or equipment. Bids are invited in one stream with a maximum grant size of £50,000, though small grant applications are welcome. Applicants can apply to deliver more than one project. We anticipate that projects will commence in August 2020 and that funding will be used by 31st March 2021. OurFurther Vision information Partnership working Working in partnership and collaborating with multiple agencies